E Comparative Historical Research on Nation States

• STEELE, M. William(International Christian University)
• Anne Walthall(University of California)
• TSURUMAKI Takao(Shukutoku University)
• TAKAGI Hiroshi(Kyoto University)
• HAGA Shoji(Nagoya University)
• WAKAO Masaki (Hitotsubashi University)
• SUDA Tsutomu(Waseda University)
• YAMADA Masaru(Chiba University)
• AKIBA Jun(Chiba University)
• OZAWA Hiroaki(Chiba University)
• Park Wha jin(Pukyong National University)
• NOBAYASHI Atsushi(National Museum of Ethnology)
• KAWAGUCHI Yukiya(National Museum of Ethnology)
• WATANABE Koichi (National Institute of Japanese Literature)
• KURUSHIMA Hiroshi
• IWABUCHI Reiji
• AOYAMA Hiroo
• OKUBO Jun'ichi
• HIDAKA Kaori
• KOIKE Jun'ichi

The purpose of this research is to understand how nation states were formed in non–European countries via communications and contacts with Europe within a temporal framework of the 19th century by conducting a comparative study. At the beginning of the 19th century, Japan began showing clear signs of the social changes which had begun in the Kansei Era (the end of 18th century) and such changes progressed more deeply and widely under fears of Russian territorial expansion. In the first half of this century, Japan experienced a variety of changes such as drastically improved private education and the transformation of the country’s production and distribution systems. In the midst of these phenomena, people (mainly urban intellectuals) began consciously studying the history and culture of their communities, as well as the nation and its people. Provoked by external fears, efforts to search for their own national identity were made and they produced various studies which were later classified as literature, history, or folklore. We might even go so far as to say that based upon these studies, the "people" themselves were formed. The period from the end of 18th century to the beginning of 19th century can be termed the "long period" because it was during this period that the Japanese nation state was came into being. In Europe, "people are created" under the influence of massive state power, on the other hand in non–European countries, people "become people" spontaneously. Therefore, we need to take into consideration each non–European country’s particularities when conducting a comparative study because the nation–state module "discovered" in Europe, and particularly in France, cannot apply. Certain research says that, in East Asia, the nation–state module "translated" into the Japanese language and Japanese culture (as its political system) remains in force because Japan is an advanced nation–state and it greatly influences other Asian countries. This research should redefine the interrelationship between the Western–European module and the Japanese module. These days, the "common understanding of history" has become an urgent political issue in Asia. If researchers gathered from all over the world undertake cooperative research on it, or organize a new studies based upon the study of influences received from Europe during the 19th century and on the problems which occurred in the process of forming a nation–state, including the problems stated above–arising from the influence of Japan (we should also not forget that there are two angles to consider, that from Japan as well as that to Japan), a new future will be awaiting the humanities. Moreover, nation–states in Eastern and Northern Europe seem to have been formed in parallel with the Asian nation–states. They, like Asian nation–states, were influenced by "The European World" through contacts and communication. We want to undertake a comparative analysis of this point as well.